1. What did the Lord say was not good for man? Genesis 2 :18 _________________

2. What did the Lord do to alleviate the problem? Genesis 2:21-24._______________

Fill in the blanks: Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:6 last part. Therefore shall a ______ leave his _______ and his _______, and shall _______ unto his _____: and they twain shall be one _______, what ______ God had ______ together, let _______ man put ___________.

4. Who are wives admonish to submit to? Ephesians 5: 22._________________________
What is the husband's responsibility to the wife? Ephesians 5:25. _____________________

6. True or false: The love between a man and his wife should be as strong as Christ love is for the church. Ephesians 5:25._____________________________________

7. What does the Bible admonish us not to do? 2 Corinthians 6:14. ______________
8. True or False: Wives adornment should not be that of plaiting the hair, or wearing of gold. 1 Peter 3:3. ___________________________________________________

9. True or False: A woman's adornment should be that of a meek and quiet spirit.1Peter 3:4. ______________________________________________________

10. Fill in the blanks: 1 Peter 3:8. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having ________ one of another, __________as ________, be pitiful, be courteous. ____________

11a. How does the Bible say a child should be trained? Proverbs 22:6 _______________
____________________________________________________________________

11b. Why? Proverbs 22:6 last part. ________________________________________

12. What does the Bible admonish parents to do? Proverbs 19:18; 13:24. Fill in the blanks: Chasten thy ______ while there is ________ and let not thy soul ________ for his crying. He that _______ his ______ _______ his son; but he that loveth him ________ him betimes.

13. What does the Bible say our attitude toward our parents should be and why. Exodus 20:12 Fill in the blank: Honor thy ________ and thy _______ that thy ________ may be _____upon the ________ which the Lord thy God thee.

14. What does the Bible say should be the children's attitude toward their parents? Ephesians 6:1-3; Fill in the blanks: Children _______ your _______ in the Lord: for this is right. ________ thy ________ and _________; which is the ________ ________ with promise; that it may be ________ with ______, and thou mayest live long on the ________.

The crowning work of creation was man. On the sixth day of the week "God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Read all about it in Genesis 2. And God saw that it was not good for man to live alone; so He caused a great sleep to fall on Adam, and from one of his ribs "He made an help meet for him." - a helper corresponding to him, one who was fitted to be his companion, and one who could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self, showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in the marriage relation. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it." Ephesians 5:29.

God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe. "Marriage is honorable" (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that Adam brought with him beyond the gates of paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man's social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature. Marriage should be preceded by an "interest" period, where a young man or woman sees someone they are attracted to and begin to observe him or her and show interest in them.

Tips to consider when contemplating choosing a life mate: Make sure the person you are marrying is a Christian. The Lord admonish His children not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Both of you should be of the same faith. Never marry a stranger. Take time to know the person you are contemplating marrying. Don't think he or she will change after marriage. Don't let love blind your eyes. Try to know as much as possible about that person before you even show any interest in them. Observe how this person carries himself or herself: clean, thoughtful, kind, courteous, a Christian etc. observe his or her mental status, and temperament. Watch the relationship between this person and his/her parents, brothers and sisters. If he or she does not respect them, neither will he/she respect you. Don't engage in premarital sex or petting and kissing before marriage. Sexual intercourse was not made for single people. Don't covet what God does not intend for you to have.

To the young men I say: Respect the young ladies, even if they don't have any respect for themselves, you by the grace of God be blameless in the eyes of the Lord. There are some young men and older ones too who carry young women and older ones down in the gutter and leave them there; they come out looking all clean like Simon in the Bible (Luke 8). You come out of the gutter looking like an angel, but you expect that everybody should look at the young lady or ladies like Simon thought Jesus should have looked at Mary Magdalene. Young man, God holds you accountable for your action. Don't show affection for someone who you know you have no intention of marrying. Don't play with the young ladies emotion. Treat others the way you would like them to treat you, your sister or daughter. Remember, the wrong you do to others could come back to you tenfold. Study the life of Jacob (Genesis chapters 27-35), and then read the counsel of God through the wise man Solomon in the book of Proverbs; and let them guide you. Most of all, commit your way unto the Lord and let Him direct your path. Ask Him to provide a mate for you. Before taking on a wife make sure you can take care of her. Get a good education, so that you would be in good standing to get a good Job. Be industrious and ambitious. Don't "short change yourself" by taking a wife to your self before you are ready; before you are capable of caring for her.

To the young ladies and women I say: Your body is the temple of God. Don't allow anyone of the opposite sex to put their hands all over you. There is to much flirting among the young of today. Avoid going around hugging everybody you meet, even in church, especially of the opposite sex. Carry yourself in a dignify way for God, and also for that special spouse He will give you. Get an education; Be ambitious; set your goals high; put God first in your life. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path (Proverbs 3:6). Remember that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and that our body, soul and spirit belong to God. Ask God to provide a mate for you. Don't take matters into your own hand. Be satisfied with whatever His decision is. Sometimes there are latent illnesses and other problems that the Lord sees that if you get married, the stress and strain of marriage and childbirth etc. would cause them to come to the fore, resulting many times in untimely deaths. Keep yourself pure and clean for the Lord. Let it be that if the Lord should be in need of another Mary (the mother of Jesus) He can count on you. Flee fornication.

Take all necessary precautions to ensure that the person you are marrying is a person you can trust. Wives and wives to be, remember, the Lord made you to be a helpmeet for your husband. There are some women who are skeptical of the person they are marrying. They believe the marriage may not last. So as soon as they get married they start saving in case there is a divorce. Ladies, if you work for divorce, sooner or later you will get one. Work to save your marriage. If you have doubts before you get married, judge what you will have after you get married. Don't enter a marriage relationship with doubts. Fast and pray before you enter a lifelong commitment with anyone. Ask the Lord if it is His will bring you two together in love and holy matrimony, and if not separate you one from the other, and be content with whatever God's decision may be.

Discuss certain important issues before marriage: eg. money matters, when to start a family, how many children you would like to have, consolidating finances. The husband should not be struggling to pay some of the bills and the wife some. You should work together in unity.

You have gone through the "interest" and getting to know each other period, the engagement period and have been married; what next?

Keep your marriage sacred between you and your spouse. Avoid outside influence. You and your spouse should be best friends. Keep all others on this earth at "arms length." The first, most important thing for you to do after the wedding is to establish a family alter: After the wedding reception, at the first opportunity you and your spouse are alone, fall down on your knees and give your marriage to the Lord. Ask Him to be Lord of your marriage. What ever you want from your marriage, tell it to Jesus. Make Him the head of your home. Some one once thought it only took two to make a marriage work; but they soon found out it took the Lord also. Marriage is between you, your spouse and the Lord. Maintain the family alter by having morning and evening devotion. Begin your day with God. The family that prayers together stays together. Don't forget those individual prayers, they are very important also. Sometimes you may need to fast and pray. Many blessings come through this means. Play together also, for the family that plays together also stays together. Work together too; It would make life much easier if both of you work together in financial and other ways.

Don't with hold yourself from each other except it be for fasting and prayer. God gave the married couple the first gift -intimacy; enjoy it. There are some spouses who with hold intimacy from each other, and the next thing you hear is, the withholder is having an affair. Read 1 Corinthian 7:1-5, and adhere to the council of the Lord through the apostle Paul.

Some good advice for husbands and wives are as follows: Practice kissing each other when you wake up, when leaving each other, and when you meet again. Husbands and wives should call each other by a name that shows respect. Sarah called Abraham "lord". Some other names that could be used are: sugar, honey, dear, pet, love, etc. Husbands and wives should work in unity. There should be one main account. A budget should be made up that includes personal allowance for each other and the children, if any. If both husband and wife work outside the home, house chores should be done by both. Better still, what can be done together should be done that way. Husbands and wives are to be faithful partners. The Bible says that marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4. Utter no harsh words to your spouse, exercise patience. Remember husbands, a man never hurt his own flesh intentionally. Your wife is your flesh. Love her as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for it.

You have spent some months or in some cases, years with each other; you are now having children; What next?

Train up your children in the way they ought to go, so that when they are old, they would not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). For the married couple and others who may have children, child training begins from conception. Your actions can have a great influence on your child in the womb. But generally speaking, real child training begins as soon as a person reach the age of accountability. For example, if you want your child to have good temperament, then you should practice that all through your life. If you and your spouse have good Christian qualities, eg. love, joy, quiet spirit, good temperament, Patience, honest, ambitious, etc, these qualities will enter your "genes" and most likely will be transferred to your child. Not only that, but if you carry these qualities with you through life and teach them to your children, they should be in good standing for life.
Remember, by training your children, you are also training your grandchildren to the third and fourth generation, because habits and tendencies enter the genes and may be passed on to future generation. If your child is accustomed to doing what is right from an early age, it would make it that much easier for them when they are grown.
Discipline your children with love. Never discipline a child in anger. Let the child see you are interested in them. Take time to play with your children. Accompany them to social events. They should attend Christian schools. Carry them there and pick them up. Many children get into trouble on their way to and from school. Teach your children self worth. Teach them to carry themselves in a dignify manner. Be able to give a reasonable account for your children at all times. Know who their friends are. Friends can lead them astray. Ensure , as far as possible, that they get a good education. Teach them to be ambitious and industrious. Most of all parents, be a good example for your children. That is the best training you can give them.

Remember to put God first in everything. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path. Pray everyday, several times a day is best.

You have gotten married and are training your children in the way they ought to go, What next?

Live happily ever after, until death you part. Please don't let separation and divorce be a part of your marriage vocabulary. God says that He hates putting away (Malachi 2:14-16). If severe problems arise, read God's counsel in 1 Corinthians 7:10, 11. 1 Corinthians 13:4, 7- says: love suffers long and is kind. Love bears all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

15. The Bible gives one and only one ground for divorce; What is it? Matthew 19:9 ____________________________________________________________________

But even in this, love and forgiveness could be the law. Jesus said "because of the hardness of your heart a precept of divorcement was written. But that is not the way God intended it should be" (Matthew 19:8). Even divorce does not have to be the end of a marriage. As long as both partners remain unmarried there is room for reconciliation, and they can at any time be reunited.

Marriage was divinely established in Eden, and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. Two people of the same sex can never be joined together in holy matrimony, because the word of God does not allow it; and whoever is joined together other than the word of God allows, is not joined together by God; neither is their marriage legal. For the Christian, a marriage relationship is to God as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into only between partners who share a common faith. Mutual love, honor, respect and responsibility are the fabric of the relationship between Christ and His church. God blessed the family and intends that its members should assist each other toward Christian maturity.

May the Lord bless your marriage and keep you two together until death you do part- Amen.

 The information below was taken from the website of Kama Sutra.

'Requirements of the Husband'
By Kama Sutra

A man shall leave father and mother and cleave to his wife (Genesis 2:24).
Let every man have his own wife. (1 corinthians 7:2).

Husbands shall dwell with their wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto them, as unto the weaker vessle.

Husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it (Eph 5:25).

So ought man to love their wives as their own bodies, he that loveth his wife, loveth himself (Eph 5:28).

Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence (1 Corinthians 7:3).

If a husband provide not for his own wife and children, he is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8).

A man shall cheer up his wife (Deut 24:5).

Husbands love your wives, and be not bitter against them (Colossians 3:19)

Art thou bound to a wife, seek not to be loosed (1 Cor 7:12)

Marriage is honorable in all (Heb 13:4)

Let not the husband put away his wife (1 Corinthians 7:12)

Let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth..God hateth putting away (Malachi 2:14-16)

It is a wicked act that a man should gain the heart of a woman, and then forsake her..

Requirements of the wife

A wife's desire shall be to her husband (Gen 3:16) (i.e. she shall be subject unto him).

Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord (Eph 5:22).
Let not the wife depart from her husband (1 Corinthians7:10).

Marriage is honorable in all (Heb 13:4).

Let the wife render unto her husband due benevolence (1Corinthians7:3).

The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband (1 Corinthians 7:4).

Let every woman have her own husband (1 Corinthians 7:2).

She that is married careth (or should care) how she may please her husband (1 Corinthians 7:34).

I will that women marry, bear children guide the house (1 Timothy 5:14).
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband (Prov 12:4).

The woman which hath an husband, is bound by the law to her husband, so long as he liveth (Rom 7:2).

Aged women should behave as becometh holiness & that they may teach the young women, to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands (Titus2:3-5)

"Whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."

tips for an excellent marriage

Pray together and stay together.
By Kama Sutra
'Marriage Among Three'

Wedding Day Promise.
Before God and Witnesses 'Till Death Do Us Part'

God intended for marriage to be the unbreakable union between man and woman.
"For this reason (the reason of marriage) a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." Ephesians 5:31

"For I hate divorce." Malachi 2: 16.

Pray for your marriage to be loving and peaceful and ask God to protect your marriage.

1. Put God First In Your Marriage.

If you put God second or not at all; watch chaos begin, guaranteed!
If you desire an excellent marriage, build it on God's foundation; study God's word on marriage, and of the roles of husband and wife. Be obedient and faithful to God an what His desires are for your marriage. Ask God to strengthen your marriage everyday. This will lay out a firm foundation for the marriage. God is our firm foundation!

"Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." Mark 10: 9.

2. Pray together!

Pray for your growth in your marriage. Take all your problems to God, He is your counselor. Give to Him all your troubles, fears, worries, and desperations. Praying together for all these things will also open up the communication between the two of you.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Matthew 11: 28-30

3. Respect and Honor each other.

Love your spouse more than you love yourself. Respect each other.

Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she repsect her husband." Ephesians 5: 33.

4. Encourage each other.

Build up and encourage one another.

"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing."
1 Thessalonians 5: 11

5. Read God's word and study together as much as you can.

Set aside time to spend together in worship

6. Be quick to hear and slow to speak.

Wrong words begin with wrong thoughts. Take time to realize what your about to say. You should not speak to one another with anger, abuse, or malicious speech.

"but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all apsects into Him who is head even Christ."
Ephesians 4: 15

"But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth."
Ephesians 4: 31.

7. Communication:

Make time to communicate, how will you know what your spouse is feeling or what their needs are if you don't Set aside time weekly to sit down and talk about everything going on in your lives.

8. Protect and honor your marriage vows.

9. Do not let others come between your marriage.

10. Thank God daily for your mate and your life together.

Love one another daily...
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."
John 15:11-13.

You have a choice to LOVE... You must choose to Love.

Even if your spouse is not responding, show love to them. Don't let your heart harden and show, anger, bitterness or resentment! Ask God to give you strength to Love unselfishly, to expect nothing in return for the love you give! It is God's command!
What choice have you made today?

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you love one another." John 13: 34 - 35

Choose to Love your spouse with great kindness patience and understanding, to be truthful and faithful, to encourage, give hope and help, to please and be unselfish, and to grow together and most of all to be forgiving.

May you live together until death you part. Amen.